Pissed Off Jesus

I have always felt that the title heading which many Bible use should be something like Jesus gets pissed or Don't mess with Jesus referencing the second chapter of John's gospel.

It all starts with a wedding. I have always found this passage most perplexing. Aside from the fact that I have never been to a reception where they actually ran out of beverages-and if they did, it would just mean that it was time to go home.   

Anyway, we have the retelling of the (only?) time when Jesus was just hanging out, no one asking him for special favors, probably not feeling the urge to teach. He did, after all, know what lay ahead. Suddenly, Mary broke the mood. I don't know why.  She wasn't paying for the wedding.  It wasn't her responsibility. Maybe it was just Mary being Mary.  "Excuse me, son, but the wine-well has run dry."

When we think of Jesus, "smart mouth" generally isn't a characteristic we might apply. But, clearly, he wasn't all that happy to have the mood broken. It wasn't just an "Awww, Mom" moment. Jesus is clearly irked and makes no bones about it.

Mary knew something we seem to easily forget. There is never a bad time to approach Jesus. Not ever. Not even for something that might seem insignificant or worth the trouble. Not only does Jesus comply, he leaves them speechless. There's a lesson there.

So, first we have one of the only times when Jesus was, shall we say, really perturbed. Mary infringed upon his space with a seemingly insignificant request. If he would give into his nudgy mom, what do you think he might do when something really big was going on in his Father’s house? Today, he is really, really pissed.

Jesus wasn’t one of the Blues Brothers but he knew better than anyone that he was, indeed, on a mission from God. When human beings were mucking up the lives of other human beings, Jesus’ intervention usually involved the restoration of the afflicted and, for the most part, going on his way, about his business. But what was taking place in today’s passage, in his Father’s house, in God’s house called for a much different response. Jesus always responds. I am not sure if “dearest Jesus, meek and mild” held anything back. 

On one level, I am in awe of him. I have observed some nasty stuff go on in God’s house. I’ve never quite known how to respond and so I’ve ignored a lot. On another level, I’d expect Jesus to be just as angry about God’s creation. Umm, Jesus, there some more work to do.....